The Royaw Navy (RN) is de United Kingdom's navaw warfare force. Awdough warships were used by de Engwish kings from de earwy medievaw period, de first major maritime engagements were fought in de Hundred Years War against de Kingdom of France. The modern Royaw Navy traces its origins to de earwy 16f century; de owdest of de UK's armed services, it is known as de Senior Service.

From de middwe decades of de 17f century, and drough de 18f century, de Royaw Navy vied wif de Dutch Navy and water wif de French Navy for maritime supremacy. From de mid 18f century, it was de worwd's most powerfuw navy untiw surpassed by de United States Navy during de Second Worwd War. The Royaw Navy pwayed a key part in estabwishing de British Empire as de unmatched worwd power during de 19f and first part of de 20f centuries. Due to dis historicaw prominence, it is common, even among non-Britons, to refer to it as "de Royaw Navy" widout qwawification, uh-hah-hah-hah.

The strengf of de fweet of de Kingdom of Engwand was an important ewement in de kingdom's power in de 10f century.[11] At one point Aedewred II had an especiawwy warge fweet buiwt by a nationaw wevy of one ship for every 310 hides of wand, but it is uncertain wheder dis was a standard or exceptionaw modew for raising fweets.[12] During de period of Danish ruwe in de 11f century, de audorities maintained a standing fweet by taxation, and dis continued for a time under de restored Engwish regime of Edward de Confessor (reigned 1042–1066), who freqwentwy commanded fweets in person, uh-hah-hah-hah.[13]

Engwish navaw power seemingwy decwined as a resuwt of de Norman conqwest.[14] Medievaw fweets, in Engwand as ewsewhere, were awmost entirewy composed of merchant ships enwisted into navaw service in time of war. From time to time a few "king's ships" owned by de monarch were buiwt for specificawwy warwike purposes; but, unwike some European states, Engwand did not maintain a smaww permanent core of warships in peacetime. Engwand's navaw organisation was haphazard and de mobiwisation of fweets when war broke out was swow.[15]

Wif de Viking era at an end, and confwict wif France wargewy confined to de French wands of de Engwish monarchy, Engwand faced wittwe dreat from de sea during de 12f and 13f centuries, but in de 14f century de outbreak of de Hundred Years War dramaticawwy increased de French menace. Earwy in de war French pwans for an invasion of Engwand faiwed when Edward III of Engwand destroyed de French fweet in de Battwe of Swuys in 1340.[16] Major fighting was dereafter confined to French soiw and Engwand's navaw capabiwities sufficed to transport armies and suppwies safewy to deir continentaw destinations. However, whiwe subseqwent French invasion schemes came to noding, Engwand's navaw forces couwd not prevent freqwent raids on de souf-coast ports by de French and deir Genoese and Castiwian awwies. Such raids hawted finawwy onwy wif de occupation of nordern France by Henry V.[17]

Henry VII deserves a warge share of credit in fostering sea power. He embarked on a program of buiwding merchant ships warger dan heretofore. He awso invested in dockyards, and commissioned de owdest surviving dry dock in 1495 at Portsmouf.[18]

There are mentions in medievaw records of fweets commanded by Scottish kings incwuding Wiwwiam de Lion[19] and Awexander II. The watter took personaw command of a warge navaw force which saiwed from de Firf of Cwyde and anchored off de iswand of Kerrera in 1249, intended to transport his army in a campaign against de Kingdom of de Iswes, but he died before de campaign couwd begin, uh-hah-hah-hah.[20][21]Viking navaw power was disrupted by confwicts between de Scandinavian kingdoms, but entered a period of resurgence in de dirteenf century when Norwegian kings began to buiwd some of de wargest ships seen in Nordern European waters. These incwuded king Hakon Hakonsson's Kristsúðin, buiwt at Bergen from 1262–3, which was 260 feet (79 m) wong, of 37 rooms.[22] In 1263 Hakon responded to Awexander III's designs on de Hebrides by personawwy weading a major fweet of forty vessews, incwuding de Kristsúðin, to de iswands, where dey were boosted by wocaw awwies to as many as 200 ships.[23] Records indicate dat Awexander had severaw warge oared ships buiwt at Ayr, but he avoided a sea battwe.[19] Defeat on wand at de Battwe of Largs and winter storms forced de Norwegian fweet to return home, weaving de Scottish crown as de major power in de region and weading to de ceding of de Western Iswes to Awexander in 1266.[24]

Engwish navaw power was vitaw to King Edward I's successfuw campaigns in Scotwand from 1296, using wargewy merchant ships from Engwand, Irewand and his awwies in de Iswands to transport and suppwy his armies.[25] Part of de reason for Robert I's success was his abiwity to caww on navaw forces from de Iswands. As a resuwt of de expuwsion of de Fwemings from Engwand in 1303, he gained de support of a major navaw power in de Norf Sea.[25] The devewopment of navaw power awwowed Robert to successfuwwy defeat Engwish attempts to capture him in de Highwands and Iswands and to bwockade major Engwish controwwed fortresses at Perf and Stirwing, de wast forcing King Edward II to attempt de rewief dat resuwted at Engwish defeat at Bannockburn in 1314.[25] Scottish navaw forces awwowed invasions of de Iswe of Man in 1313 and 1317 and Irewand in 1315. They were awso cruciaw in de bwockade of Berwick, which wed to its faww in 1318.[25]

After de estabwishment of Scottish independence, King Robert I turned his attention to buiwding up a Scottish navaw capacity. This was wargewy focused on de west coast, wif de Excheqwer Rowws of 1326 recording de feudaw duties of his vassaws in dat region to aid him wif deir vessews and crews. Towards de end of his reign he supervised de buiwding of at weast one royaw man-of-war near his pawace at Cardross on de River Cwyde. In de wate fourteenf century navaw warfare wif Engwand was conducted wargewy by hired Scots, Fwemish and French merchantmen and privateers.[26] King James I of Scotwand (1394–1437, reigned 1406–1437), took a greater interest in navaw power. After his return to Scotwand in 1424, he estabwished a shipbuiwding yard at Leif, a house for marine stores, and a workshop. King's ships were buiwt and eqwipped dere to be used for trade as weww as war, one of which accompanied him on his expedition to de Iswands in 1429. The office of Lord High Admiraw was probabwy founded in dis period.[26] It wouwd soon become a hereditary office, in de controw of de Earws of Bodweww in de fifteenf and sixteenf centuries and de Earws of Lennox in de seventeenf century.[27]

King James II (1430–1460, reigned 1437–1460) is known to have purchased a caravew by 1449.[28] Around 1476 de Scottish merchant John Barton received wetters of marqwe dat awwowed him to gain compensation for de capture of his vessews by de Portuguese by capturing ships under deir cowours. These wetters wouwd be repeated to his dree sons John, Andrew and Robert, who wouwd pway a major part in de Scottish navaw effort into de sixteenf century.[29] In his struggwes wif his nobwes in 1488 James III (r. 1451–88) received assistance from his two warships de Fwower and de King's Carvew awso known as de Yewwow Carvew, commanded by Andrew Wood of Largo.[26] After de king's deaf Wood served his son James IV (r. 1488–1513), defeating an Engwish incursion into de Forf by five Engwish ships in 1489 and dree more heaviwy armed Engwish ships off de mouf of de River Tay de next year.[30]

A standing "Navy Royaw",[31] wif its own secretariat, dockyards and a permanent core of purpose-buiwt warships, emerged during de reign of Henry VIII.[32] Under Ewizabef I Engwand became invowved in a war wif Spain, which saw privatewy owned vessews combining wif de Queen's ships in highwy profitabwe raids against Spanish commerce and cowonies.[33]

In 1588, Phiwip II of Spain sent de Spanish Armada against Engwand to end Engwish support for Dutch rebews, to stop Engwish corsair activity and to depose de Protestant Ewizabef I and restore Cadowicism to Engwand. The Spaniards saiwed from Lisbon, pwanning to escort an invasion force from de Spanish Nederwands but de scheme faiwed due to poor pwanning, Engwish harrying, bwocking action by de Dutch, and severe storms.[34] A major Engwish expedition de fowwowing year was intended by Ewizabef to destroy de survivors of de Spanish fweet, but instead dissipated its efforts in unsuccessfuw schemes to intercept a Spanish treasure convoy or foment revowt against Spanish ruwe in Portugaw.[35]

During de earwy 17f century, Engwand's rewative navaw power deteriorated, and dere were increasing raids by Barbary corsairs on ships and Engwish coastaw communities to capture peopwe as swaves, which de Navy had wittwe success in countering.[36]Charwes I undertook a major programme of warship buiwding, creating a smaww force of powerfuw ships, but his medods of fund-raising to finance de fweet contributed to de outbreak of de Engwish Civiw War.[37] In de wake of dis confwict and de abowition of de monarchy, de new Commonweawf of Engwand, isowated and dreatened from aww sides, dramaticawwy expanded de Navy, which became de most powerfuw in de worwd.[38]

The new regime's introduction of Navigation Acts, providing dat aww merchant shipping to and from Engwand or her cowonies shouwd be carried out by Engwish ships, wed to war wif de Dutch Repubwic.[39] In de earwy stages of dis First Angwo-Dutch War (1652–1654), de superiority of de warge, heaviwy armed Engwish ships was offset by superior Dutch tacticaw organisation and de fighting was inconcwusive.[40] Engwish tacticaw improvements resuwted in a series of crushing victories in 1653 at Portwand, de Gabbard and Scheveningen, bringing peace on favourabwe terms.[41] This was de first war fought wargewy, on de Engwish side, by purpose-buiwt, state-owned warships. It was fowwowed by a war wif Spain, which saw de Engwish conqwest of Jamaica in 1655 and successfuw attacks on Spanish treasure fweets in 1656 and 1657, but awso de devastation of Engwish merchant shipping by de privateers of Dunkirk, untiw deir home port was captured by Angwo-French forces in 1658.[42]

The Engwish monarchy was restored in May 1660, and Charwes II assumed de drone. One of his first acts was to re-estabwish de Navy, but from dis point on, it ceased to be de personaw possession of de reigning monarch, and instead became a nationaw institution – wif de titwe of "The Royaw Navy".[43]

As a resuwt of deir defeat in de First Angwo-Dutch War, de Dutch transformed deir navy, wargewy abandoning de use of miwitarised merchantmen and estabwishing a fweet composed mainwy of heaviwy armed, purpose-buiwt warships, as de Engwish had done previouswy. Conseqwentwy, de Second Angwo-Dutch War (1665–1667) was a cwosewy fought struggwe between evenwy matched opponents, wif Engwish victory at Lowestoft (1665) countered by Dutch triumph in de epic Four Days Battwe (1666).[44] The deadwock was broken not by combat but by de superiority of Dutch pubwic finance, as in 1667 Charwes II was forced to way up de fweet in port for wack of money to keep it at sea, whiwe negotiating for peace. Disaster fowwowed, as de Dutch fweet mounted de Raid on de Medway, breaking into Chadam Dockyard and capturing or burning many of de Navy's wargest ships at deir moorings.[45] In de Third Angwo-Dutch War (1672–1674), Charwes II awwied wif Louis XIV of France against de Dutch, but de combined Angwo-French fweet was fought to a standstiww in a series of inconcwusive battwes, whiwe de French invasion by wand was warded off.[46]

During de 1670s and 1680s, de Engwish Royaw Navy succeeded in permanentwy ending de dreat to Engwish shipping from de Barbary corsairs, infwicting defeats which induced de Barbary states to concwude wong-wasting peace treaties.[47] Fowwowing de Gworious Revowution of 1688, Engwand joined de European coawition against Louis XIV in de War of de Grand Awwiance (1688–1697). Louis' recent shipbuiwding programme had given France de wargest navy in Europe. A combined Angwo-Dutch fweet was defeated at Beachy Head (1690), but victory at Barfweur-La Hogue (1692) was a turning-point, marking de end of France's brief pre-eminence at sea and de beginning of an enduring Engwish, water British, supremacy.[48]

In de course of de 17f century, de Engwish Royaw Navy compweted de transition from a semi-amateur Navy Royaw fighting in conjunction wif private vessews into a fuwwy professionaw institution, uh-hah-hah-hah. Its financiaw provisions were graduawwy reguwarised, it came to rewy on dedicated warships onwy, and it devewoped a professionaw officer corps wif a defined career structure, superseding an earwier mix of "gentwemen" (upper-cwass sowdiers) and "tarpauwins" (professionaw seamen, who generawwy served on merchant or fishing vessews in peacetime).[49]

James IV put de Royaw Scots Navy on a new footing, founding a harbour at Newhaven in May 1504, and two years water ordering de construction of a dockyard at de Poows of Airf. The upper reaches of de Forf were protected by new fortifications on Inchgarvie.[50] Scottish ships had some success against privateers, accompanied de king in his expeditions in de iswands and intervened in confwicts in Scandinavia and de Bawtic Sea.[51] Expeditions to de Highwands to Iswands to curb de power of de MacDonawdLord of de Iswes were wargewy ineffective untiw in 1504 de king accompanied a sqwadron under Wood heaviwy armed wif artiwwery, which battered de MacDonawd stronghowds into submission, uh-hah-hah-hah. Since some of dese iswand fortresses couwd onwy be attacked from seaward, navaw historian N. A. M. Rodger has suggested dis may have marked de end of medievaw navaw warfare in de British Iswes, ushering in a new tradition of artiwwery warfare.[28] The king acqwired a totaw of 38 ships for de Royaw Scottish Navy, incwuding de Margaret, and de carrackMichaew or Great Michaew, de wargest warship of its time (1511).[52] The watter, buiwt at great expense at Newhaven and waunched in 1511, was 240 feet (73 m) in wengf, weighed 1,000 tons, had 24 cannon, and was, at dat time, de wargest ship in Europe.[52][53] It marked a shift in designed as it was designed specificawwy to carry a main armament of heavy artiwwery.[28]

During de Rough Wooing, de attempt to force a marriage between James V's heir Mary, Queen of Scots and Henry VIII's son, de future Edward VI, in 1542, de Mary Wiwwoughby, de Lion, and de Sawamander under de command of John Barton, son of Robert Barton, attacked merchants and fishermen off Whitby. They water bwockaded a London merchant ship cawwed de Antony of Bruges in a creek on de coast of Brittany.[54] In 1544 Edinburgh was attacked by an Engwish marine force and burnt. The Sawamander and de Scottish-buiwt Unicorn were captured at Leif. The Scots stiww had two royaw navaw vessews and numerous smawwer private vessews.[55]

When, as a resuwt of de series of internationaw treaties, Charwes V decwared war upon Scotwand in 1544, de Scots were abwe to engage in a highwy profitabwe campaign of privateering dat wasted six years and de gains of which probabwy outweighed de wosses in trade wif de Low Countries.[56]

The Scots operated in de West Indies from de 1540s, joining de French in de capture of Burburuta in 1567.[57] Engwish and Scottish navaw warfare and privateering broke out sporadicawwy in de 1550s.[58] When Angwo-Scottish rewations deteriorated again in 1557 as part of a wider war between Spain and France, smaww ships cawwed 'shawwops' were noted between Leif and France, passing as fishermen, but bringing munitions and money. Private merchant ships were rigged at Leif, Aberdeen and Dundee as men-of-war, and de regent Mary of Guise cwaimed Engwish prizes, one over 200 tons, for her fweet.[59] The re-fitted Mary Wiwwoughby saiwed wif 11 oder ships against Scotwand in August 1557, wanding troops and six fiewd guns on Orkney to attack de Kirkwaww Castwe, St Magnus Cadedraw and de Bishop's Pawace. The Engwish were repuwsed by a Scottish force numbering 3000, and de Engwish vice-admiraw Sir John Cwere of Ormesby was kiwwed, but none of de Engwish ships were wost.[60]

After de Union of Crowns in 1603 confwict between Scotwand and Engwand ended, but Scotwand found itsewf invowved in Engwand's foreign powicy, opening up Scottish shipping to attack. In de 1620s, Scotwand found hersewf fighting a navaw war as Engwand's awwy, first against Spain and den awso against France, whiwe simuwtaneouswy embroiwed in undecwared Norf Sea commitments in de Danish intervention in de Thirty Years' War. In 1626 a sqwadron of dree ships was bought and eqwipped, at a cost of weast £5,200 sterwing, to guard against privateers operating out of Spanish-controwwed Dunkirk and oder ships were armed in preparation for potentiaw action, uh-hah-hah-hah.[53] The acting High Admiraw John Gordon of Lochinvar organised as many as dree marqwe fweets of privateers.[61] It was probabwy one of Lochinvar's marqwe fweets dat was sent to support de Engwish Royaw Navy in defending Irish waters in 1626.[62] In 1627, de Royaw Scots Navy and accompanying contingents of burgh privateers participated in de major expedition to Biscay.[63] The Scots awso returned to de West Indies, wif Lochinvar taking French prizes and founding de cowony of Charwes Iswand.[57] In 1629 two sqwadrons of privateers wed by Lochinvar and Wiwwiam Lord Awexander, saiwed for Canada, taking part in de campaign dat resuwted in de capture of Quebec from de French, which was handed back after de subseqwent peace.[64]

By 1697 de Engwish Royaw Navy had 323 warships, whiwe Scotwand was stiww dependent on merchantman and privateers. In de 1690s, two separate schemes for warger navaw forces were put in motion, uh-hah-hah-hah. As usuaw, de warger part was pwayed by de merchant community rader dan de government. The first was de Darien Scheme to found a Scottish cowony in Spanish controwwed America. It was undertaken by de Company of Scotwand, who created a fweet of five ships, incwuding de Cawedonia and de St. Andrew, aww buiwt or chartered in Howwand and Hamburg. It saiwed to de Isdmus of Darien in 1698, but de venture faiwed and onwy one ship returned to Scotwand.[65] In de same period it was decided to estabwish a professionaw navy for de protection of commerce in home waters during de Nine Years' War (1688–97) wif France, wif dree purpose-buiwt warships bought from Engwish shipbuiwders in 1696. These were de Royaw Wiwwiam, a 32-gun fiff rate and two smawwer ships, de Royaw Mary and de Dumbarton Castwe, each of 24 guns, generawwy described as frigates.[66]

Throughout de 18f and 19f centuries, de Royaw Navy was de wargest maritime force in de worwd, but untiw 1805 combinations of enemies repeatedwy matched or exceeded its forces in numbers.[67] Despite dis, it was abwe to maintain an awmost uninterrupted ascendancy over its rivaws drough superiority in financing, tactics, training, organisation, sociaw cohesion, hygiene, dockyard faciwities, wogisticaw support and (from de middwe of de 18f century) warship design and construction, uh-hah-hah-hah.[68]

During de War of de Spanish Succession (1702–1714), de Navy operated in conjunction wif de Dutch against de navies of France and Spain, in support of de efforts of Britain's Austrian Habsburg awwies to seize controw of Spain and its Mediterranean dependencies from de Bourbons. Amphibious operations by de Angwo-Dutch fweet brought about de capture of Sardinia, de Bawearic Iswands and a number of Spanish mainwand ports, most importantwy Barcewona. Whiwe most of dese gains were turned over to de Habsburgs, Britain hewd on to Gibrawtar and Menorca, which were retained in de peace settwement, providing de Navy wif Mediterranean bases. Earwy in de war French navaw sqwadrons had done considerabwe damage to Engwish and Dutch commerciaw convoys. However, a major victory over France and Spain at Vigo Bay (1702), furder successes in battwe, and de scuttwing of de entire French Mediterranean fweet at Touwon in 1707 virtuawwy cweared de Navy's opponents from de seas for de watter part of de war. Navaw operations awso enabwed de conqwest of de French cowonies in Nova Scotia and Newfoundwand.[69] Furder confwict wif Spain fowwowed in de War of de Quadrupwe Awwiance (1718–1720), in which de Navy hewped dwart a Spanish attempt to regain Siciwy and Sardinia from Austria and Savoy, defeating a Spanish fweet at Cape Passaro (1718), and in an undecwared war in de 1720s, in which Spain tried to retake Gibrawtar and Menorca.[70]

After a period of rewative peace, de Navy became engaged in de War of Jenkins' Ear (1739–1748) against Spain, which was dominated by a series of costwy and mostwy unsuccessfuw attacks on Spanish ports in de Caribbean, primariwy a huge expedition against Cartagena de Indias in 1741. These wed to heavy woss of wife from tropicaw diseases.[71][72][73] In 1742 de Kingdom of de Two Siciwies was driven to widdraw from de war in de space of hawf an hour by de dreat of a bombardment of its capitaw Napwes by a smaww British sqwadron, uh-hah-hah-hah. The war became subsumed in de wider War of de Austrian Succession (1744–1748), once again pitting Britain against France. Navaw fighting in dis war, which for de first time incwuded major operations in de Indian Ocean, was wargewy inconcwusive, de most significant event being de faiwure of an attempted French invasion of Engwand in 1744.[74]

In de American War of Independence (1775–1783) de Royaw Navy readiwy obwiterated de smaww Continentaw Navy of frigates fiewded by de rebew cowonists, but de entry of France, Spain and de Nederwands into de war against Britain produced a combination of opposing forces which deprived de Navy of its position of superiority for de first time since de 1690s, briefwy but decisivewy. The war saw a series of inconcwusive battwes in de Atwantic and Caribbean, in which de Navy faiwed to achieve de decisive victories needed to secure de suppwy wines of British forces in Norf America and to cut off de cowoniaw rebews from outside support.[78] The most important operation of de war came in 1781 when, in de Battwe of de Chesapeake, de British fweet faiwed to wift de French bwockade of Lord Cornwawwis's army, resuwting in Cornwawwis's surrender at Yorktown.[79] Awdough dis disaster effectivewy concwuded de fighting in Norf America, hostiwities continued in de Indian Ocean, where de French were prevented from re-estabwishing a meaningfuw foodowd in India, and in de Caribbean, uh-hah-hah-hah. British victory in de Caribbean in de Battwe of de Saintes in 1782 and de rewief of Gibrawtar water de same year symbowised de restoration of British navaw ascendancy, but dis came too wate to prevent de independence of de rebewwious Thirteen Cowonies.[80]

The eradication of scurvy from de Royaw Navy in de 1790s came about due to de efforts of Giwbert Bwane, chairman of de Navy's Sick and Hurt Board, which ordered fresh wemon juice to be given to saiwors on ships. Oder navies soon adopted dis successfuw sowution, uh-hah-hah-hah.[81]

The French Revowutionary Wars (1793–1801) and Napoweonic Wars (1803–1814 and 1815) saw de Royaw Navy reach a peak of efficiency, dominating de navies of aww Britain's adversaries, which spent most of de war bwockaded in port. The Navy achieved an emphatic earwy victory at de Gworious First of June (1794), and gained a number of smawwer victories whiwe supporting abortive French Royawist efforts to regain controw of France. In de course of one such operation, de majority of de French Mediterranean fweet was captured or destroyed during a short-wived occupation of Touwon in 1793.[82] The miwitary successes of de French Revowutionary régime brought de Spanish and Dutch navies into de war on de French side, but de wosses infwicted on de Dutch at de Battwe of Camperdown in 1797 and de surrender of deir surviving fweet to a wanding force at Den Hewder in 1799 effectivewy ewiminated de Dutch navy from de war.[83] The Spidead and Nore mutinies in 1797 incapacitated de Channew and Norf Sea fweets, weaving Britain potentiawwy exposed to invasion, but were rapidwy resowved.[84] The British Mediterranean fweet under Horatio Newson faiwed to intercept Napoweon Bonaparte's 1798 expedition to invade Egypt, but annihiwated de French fweet at de Battwe of de Niwe, weaving Bonaparte's army isowated.[85] The emergence of a Bawtic coawition opposed to Britain wed to an attack on Denmark, which wost much of its fweet in de Battwe of Copenhagen (1801) and came to terms wif Britain, uh-hah-hah-hah.[86]

During dese years, de Navy awso conducted amphibious operations dat captured most of de French Caribbean iswands and de Dutch cowonies at de Cape of Good Hope and Ceywon. Though successfuw in deir outcome, de expeditions to de Caribbean, conducted on a grand scawe, wed to devastating wosses from disease. Except for Ceywon and Trinidad, dese gains were returned fowwowing de Peace of Amiens in 1802, which briefwy hawted de fighting.[87] Menorca, which had been repeatedwy wost and regained during de 18f century, was restored to Spain, its pwace as de Navy's main base in de Mediterranean being taken by de new acqwisition of Mawta. War resumed in 1803 and Napoweon attempted to assembwe a warge enough fweet from de French and Spanish sqwadrons bwockaded in various ports to cover an invasion of Engwand. The Navy frustrated dese efforts, and fowwowing de abandonment of de invasion pwan, Newson defeated de combined Franco-Spanish fweet at Trafawgar (1805).[88]

After Trafawgar, warge-scawe fighting at sea remained wimited to de destruction of smaww, fugitive French sqwadrons, and amphibious operations which again captured de cowonies which had been restored at Amiens, awong wif France's Indian Ocean base at Mauritius and parts of de Dutch East Indies, incwuding Java and de Mowuccas.[89] In 1807 French pwans to seize de Danish fweet wed to a pre-emptive British attack on Copenhagen, resuwting in de surrender of de entire Danish navy.[90] The impressment of British and American saiwors from American ships contributed to de outbreak of de War of 1812 (1812–1814) against de United States, in which de navaw fighting was wargewy confined to commerce raiding and singwe-ship actions.[91] The brief renewaw of war after Napoweon's return to power in 1815 did not bring a resumption of navaw combat.[92]

Between 1815 and 1914, de Navy saw wittwe serious action, owing to de absence of any opponent strong enough to chawwenge its dominance. During dis period, navaw warfare underwent a comprehensive transformation, brought about by steam propuwsion, metaw ship construction, and expwosive munitions. Despite having to compwetewy repwace its war fweet, de Navy managed to maintain its overwhewming advantage over aww potentiaw rivaws. Due to British weadership in de Industriaw Revowution, de country enjoyed unparawwewed shipbuiwding capacity and financiaw resources, which ensured dat no rivaw couwd take advantage of dese revowutionary changes to negate de British advantage in ship numbers.[93]

In 1859, de fweet was estimated to number about 1000 in aww, incwuding bof combat and non-combat vessews.[94] In 1889, Parwiament passed de Navaw Defence Act, which formawwy adopted de 'two-power standard', which stipuwated dat de Royaw Navy shouwd maintain a number of battweships at weast eqwaw to de combined strengf of de next two wargest navies.[95]

The end of de 19f century saw structuraw changes brought about by de First Sea LordJackie Fisher, who retired, scrapped or pwaced into reserve many of de owder vessews, making funds and manpower avaiwabwe for newer ships. He awso oversaw de devewopment of HMS Dreadnought, waunched in 1906. Its speed and firepower rendered aww existing battweships obsowete. The industriaw and economic devewopment of Germany had by dis time overtaken Britain, enabwing de Imperiaw German Navy to attempt to outpace British construction of dreadnoughts. In de ensuing arms race, Britain succeeded in maintaining a substantiaw numericaw advantage over Germany, but for de first time since 1805 anoder navy now existed wif de capacity to chawwenge de Royaw Navy in battwe.[98]

Reforms were awso graduawwy introduced in de conditions for enwisted men wif de abowition of miwitary fwogging in 1879, amongst oders.[99]

During de First Worwd War, most of de Royaw Navy's strengf was mostwy depwoyed at home in de Grand Fweet, confronting de German High Seas Fweet across de Norf Sea. Severaw inconcwusive cwashes took pwace between dem, chiefwy de Battwe of Jutwand in 1916. The British numericaw advantage proved insurmountabwe, weading de High Seas Fweet to abandon any attempt to chawwenge British dominance.[100]

Ewsewhere in de worwd, de Navy hunted down de handfuw of German surface raiders at warge. During de Dardanewwes Campaign against de Ottoman Empire in 1915, it suffered heavy wosses during a faiwed attempt to break drough de system of minefiewds and shore batteries defending de straits.[101]

Upon entering de war, de Navy had immediatewy estabwished a bwockade of Germany. The Navy's Nordern Patrow cwosed off access to de Norf Sea, whiwe de Dover Patrow cwosed off access to de Engwish Channew. The Navy awso mined de Norf Sea. As weww as cwosing off de Imperiaw German Navy's access to de Atwantic, de bwockade wargewy bwocked neutraw merchant shipping heading to or from Germany. The bwockade was maintained during de eight monds after de armistice was agreed to force Germany to end de war and sign de Treaty of Versaiwwes.[102]

The most serious menace faced by de Navy came from de attacks on merchant shipping mounted by German U-boats. For much of de war dis submarine campaign was restricted by prize ruwes reqwiring merchant ships to be warned and evacuated before sinking. In 1915, de Germans renounced dese restrictions and began to sink merchant ships on sight, but water returned to de previous ruwes of engagement to pwacate neutraw opinion, uh-hah-hah-hah. A resumption of unrestricted submarine warfare in 1917 raised de prospect of Britain and its awwies being starved into submission, uh-hah-hah-hah. The Navy's response to dis new form of warfare had proved inadeqwate due to its refusaw to adopt a convoy system for merchant shipping, despite de demonstrated effectiveness of de techniqwe in protecting troop ships. The bewated introduction of convoys sharpwy reduced wosses and brought de U-boat dreat under controw.[103]

In de inter-war period, de Royaw Navy was stripped of much of its power. The Washington and London Navaw Treaties imposed de scrapping of some capitaw ships and wimitations on new construction, uh-hah-hah-hah.[104] In 1932, de Invergordon Mutiny took pwace over a proposed 25% pay cut, which was eventuawwy reduced to 10%.[105] Internationaw tensions increased in de mid-1930s and de Second London Navaw Treaty of 1935 faiwed to hawt de devewopment of a navaw arms race. By 1938, treaty wimits were effectivewy being ignored. The re-armament of de Royaw Navy was weww under way by dis point; de Royaw Navy had begun construction of de stiww treaty-affected and undergunned new battweships and its first fuww-sized purpose-buiwt aircraft carriers. In addition to new construction, severaw existing owd battweships (whose gun power offset to a significant extent de weakwy armed new battweships), battwecruisers and heavy cruisers were reconstructed, and anti-aircraft weaponry reinforced, whiwe new technowogies, such as ASDIC, Huff-Duff and hydrophones, were devewoped. The Navy had wost controw of navaw aviation when de Royaw Navaw Air Service was merged wif de Royaw Fwying Corps to form de Royaw Air Force in 1918, but regained controw of ship-board aircraft wif de return of de Fweet Air Arm to Navaw controw in 1937.[106]

At de start of de Worwd War II in 1939, de Royaw Navy was de wargest in de worwd, wif over 1,400 vessews, incwuding:[107][108]

7 aircraft carriers – wif 5 more under construction

15 battweships and battwecruisers – wif 5 more under construction

66 cruisers – wif 23 more under construction

184 destroyers – wif 52 under construction

45 escort and patrow vessews – wif 9 under construction and one on order

60 submarines – wif 9 under construction

During one of de earwiest phases of de War de Royaw Navy provided criticaw cover during Operation Dynamo, de British evacuations from Dunkirk. At Taranto, Admiraw Cunningham commanded a fweet dat waunched de first aww-aircraft navaw attack in history. Cunningham was determined dat de Navy be perceived as de United Kingdom's most daring miwitary force: when warned of risks to his vessews during de Awwied evacuation after de Battwe of Crete he said, "It takes de Navy dree years to buiwd a new ship. It wiww take dree hundred years to buiwd a new tradition, uh-hah-hah-hah. The evacuation wiww continue."[109]

The Navy's most criticaw struggwe was de Battwe of de Atwantic defending Britain's vitaw commerciaw suppwy wines against U-boat attack. A traditionaw convoy system was instituted from de start of de war, but German submarine tactics, based on group attacks by "wowf-packs", were much more effective dan in de previous war, and de dreat remained serious for weww over dree years. Defences were strengdened by depwoyment of purpose-buiwt escorts, of escort carriers, of wong-range patrow aircraft, improved anti-submarine weapons and sensors, and by de deciphering of German signaws by de code-breakers of Bwetchwey Park. The dreat was at wast effectivewy broken by devastating wosses infwicted on de U-boats in de spring of 1943. Intense convoy battwes of a different sort, against combined air, surface and submarine dreats, were fought off enemy-controwwed coasts in de Arctic, where Britain ran suppwy convoys drough to Russia, and in de Mediterranean, where de struggwe focused on Convoys to Mawta.[113]

The Navy was awso vitaw in guarding de sea wanes dat enabwed British forces to fight in Norf Africa, de Mediterranean and de Far East. Navaw supremacy was essentiaw to amphibious operations such as de invasions of Nordwest Africa, Siciwy, Itawy, and Normandy. By de end of de war de Royaw Navy comprised over 4,800 ships, and was de second wargest fweet in de worwd.[114]

After de Second Worwd War, de decwine of de British Empire and de economic hardships in Britain forced de reduction in de size and capabiwity of de Royaw Navy. Aww of de pre-war ships (except for de Town-cwass wight cruisers) were qwickwy retired and most sowd for scrapping over de years 1945–48, and onwy de best condition ships (de four surviving KG-V cwass battweships, carriers, cruisers, and some destroyers) were retained and refitted for service. The increasingwy powerfuw United States Navy took on de former rowe of de Royaw Navy as gwobaw navaw power and powice force of de sea. The combination of de dreat of de Soviet Union, and Britain's commitments droughout de worwd, created a new rowe for de Navy. Governments since de Second Worwd War have had to bawance commitments wif increasing budgetary pressures, partwy due to de increasing cost of weapons systems, what historian Pauw Kennedy cawwed de Upward Spiraw.[115]

HMS Dreadnought, de Royaw Navy's first nucwear submarine, was waunched in de 1960s. The navy awso received its first nucwear weapons wif de introduction of de first of de Resowution-cwass submarines armed wif de Powaris missiwe. The introduction of Powaris fowwowed de cancewwation of de GAM-87 Skybowt missiwe which had been proposed for use by de Air Force's V bomber force. By de 1990s, de navy became responsibwe for de maintenance of de UK's entire nucwear arsenaw. The financiaw costs attached to nucwear deterrence became an increasingwy significant issue for de navy.[117]

The Navy began pwans to repwace its fweet of aircraft carriers in de mid-1960s. A pwan was drawn up for dree warge aircraft carriers, each dispwacing about 60,000 tons; de pwan was designated CVA-01. These carriers wouwd be abwe to operate de watest aircraft coming into service and keep de Royaw Navy's pwace as a major navaw power. The new Labour government dat came to power in 1964 was determined to cut defence expenditure as a means to reduce pubwic spending, and in de 1966 Defence White Paper de project was cancewwed.[118] The existing carriers (aww buiwt during, or just after Worwd War II) were refitted, two (Buwwark and Awbion) becoming commando carriers, and four (Victorious, Eagwe, Hermes, and Ark Royaw) being compweted or rebuiwt. Starting in 1965 wif Centaur, one by one dese carriers were decommissioned widout repwacement, cuwminating wif de 1979 retirement of Ark Royaw. By de earwy 1980s, onwy Hermes survived and received a refit (just in time for de Fawkwands War), to operate Sea Harriers. She operated awong wif dree much smawwer Invincibwe-cwass aircraft carriers, and de fweet was now centred around anti-submarine warfare in de norf Atwantic as opposed to its former position wif worwdwide strike capabiwity. Awong wif de war era carriers, aww of de war buiwt cruisers and destroyers, awong wif de post-war buiwt Tiger-cwass cruisers and warge County-cwass guided missiwe destroyers were eider retired or sowd by 1984.[119]

One of de most important operations conducted predominantwy by de Royaw Navy after de Second Worwd War was de 1982 defeat of Argentina in de Fawkwand Iswands War. Despite wosing four navaw ships and oder civiwian and RFA ships, de Royaw Navy fought and won a war over 8,000 miwes (12,000 km) from Great Britain, uh-hah-hah-hah. HMS Conqweror is de onwy nucwear-powered submarine to have engaged an enemy ship wif torpedoes, sinking de cruiser ARA Generaw Bewgrano.[120]

Before de Fawkwands War, Defence Secretary John Nott had advocated and initiated a series of cutbacks to de Navy.[121] The Fawkwands War dough, provided a reprieve in Nott-proposed cutbacks, and proved a need for de Royaw Navy to regain an expeditionary and wittoraw capabiwity which, wif its resources and structure at de time, wouwd prove difficuwt. At de beginning of de 1980s, de Royaw Navy was a force focused on bwue-water anti-submarine warfare. Its purpose was to search for and destroy Soviet submarines in de Norf Atwantic, and to operate de nucwear deterrent submarine force. For a time Hermes was retained, awong wif aww dree of de Invincibwe-cwass wight aircraft carriers. More Sea Harriers were ordered; not just to repwace wosses, but to awso increase de size of de Fweet Air Arm. New and more capabwe ships were buiwt; notabwy de Sheffiewd-cwass destroyers, de Type 21, Type 22, and Type 23frigates, new LPDs of de Awbion cwass, and HMS Ocean, but never in de numbers of de ships dat dey repwaced. As a resuwt, de Royaw Navy surface fweet continues to reduce in size. A 2013 report found dat de current RN was awready too smaww, and dat Britain wouwd have to depend on her awwies if her territories were attacked.[122]

The gwobaw economic recession of 2008 had a significant impact on de Royaw Navy resuwting in de Strategic Defence & Security Review 2010 which made sweeping cuts to de Navy's budget. The Harrier aircraft were retired wif some being presented to museums and de rest being sowd to de United States for spare parts to keep deir aircraft fwying. The carrier Ark Royaw and de remaining Type-22 frigates were aww removed from service and sowd for scrap. HMS Iwwustrious however, was retained drough to 2014 in de LPH rowe, untiw HMS Ocean compweted her refit. Pwans were made to awwow Iwwustrious to be retained as a fwoating museum, but by summer of 2016 she too was sowd for scrap.[124] The future of Awbion and Buwwark is uncertain as funds may not be avaiwabwe to awwow dem to remain in service.[125]

HMS Raweigh at Torpoint, Cornwaww, is de basic training faciwity for newwy enwisted personnew. Britannia Royaw Navaw Cowwege is de initiaw officer training estabwishment for de navy, wocated at Dartmouf, Devon. Personnew are divided into a generaw duties branch, which incwudes dose seamen officers ewigibwe for command, and oder branches incwuding de Royaw Navaw Engineers, medicaw, and Logistics Officers, de renamed Suppwy Officer branch. Present day officers and ratings have severaw different Royaw Navy uniforms; some are bwue, oders are white. Women began to join de Royaw Navy in 1917 wif de formation of de Women's Royaw Navaw Service (WRNS), which was disbanded after de end of de First Worwd War in 1919. It was revived in 1939, and de WRNS continued untiw disbandment in 1993, as a resuwt of de decision to fuwwy integrate women into de structures of de Royaw Navy. Women now serve in aww sections of de Royaw Navy incwuding de Royaw Marines.[127]

By January 2015, de Navaw Service (Royaw Navy and Royaw Marines) numbered some 32,880 Reguwar[128] and 3,040 Maritime Reserve personnew (Royaw Navaw Reserve and Royaw Marines Reserve),[129] giving a combined component strengf of 35,920 personnew. In addition to de active ewements of de Navaw Service (Reguwar and Maritime Reserve), aww ex-Reguwar personnew remain wiabwe to be recawwed for duty in a time of need, dis is known as de Reguwar Reserve. In 2002, dere were 26,520 Reguwar Reserves of de Navaw Service, of which 13,720 served in de Royaw Fweet Reserve.[130] Pubwications since Apriw 2013 no-wonger report de entire strengf of de Reguwar Reserve, instead dey onwy give a figure for Reguwar Reserves who serve in de Royaw Fweet Reserve.[131] They had a strengf of 7,960 personnew in 2013.[132]

HMS Iwwustrious was de sowe remaining aircraft carrier in service wif de Royaw Navy. Fowwowing de retirement of de Harrier GR9 aircraft in 2010, Iwwustrious had been serving as an amphibious assauwt ship whiwe Ocean was in refit. Iwwustrious was decommissioned on 28 August 2014, after Ocean had returned to active duty.[134] However, two much warger Queen Ewizabef-cwass aircraft carriers are under construction, uh-hah-hah-hah. These carriers are expected to cost £6 biwwion (doubwe de originaw estimate),[135] dispwace 70,600 tonnes and commence fwight triaws in 2018. Bof are intended to operate de STOVL variant of de F-35 Lightning II. The first, HMS Queen Ewizabef began sea triaws in June 2017 and wiww enter service in 2020, whiwe de second, HMS Prince of Wawes wiww enter service in 2023.[136][137][138]

The escort fweet, in de form of guided missiwe destroyers and frigates, is de traditionaw workhorse of de Navy.[141] As of January 2018[update] dere are six Type 45 destroyers and 13 Type 23 frigates in active service. Among deir primary rowes is to provide escort for de warger capitaw ships—protecting dem from air, surface and subsurface dreats. Oder duties incwude undertaking de Royaw Navy's standing depwoyments across de gwobe, which often consists of: counter-narcotics, anti-piracy missions and providing humanitarian aid.[133]

Aww six Type 45 destroyers have been buiwt and are in commission, wif HMS Duncan being de wast and finaw Type 45 entering service in September 2013.[142] The new Type 45 destroyers repwaced de owder Type 42 destroyers. The Type 45 is primariwy designed for anti-aircraft and anti-missiwe warfare and de Royaw Navy describe de destroyers mission as "to shiewd de Fweet from air attack".[143] They are eqwipped wif de PAAMS (awso known as Sea Viper) integrated anti-aircraft warfare system which incorporates de sophisticated SAMPSON and S1850M wong range radars and de Aster 15 and 30 missiwes.[144]

At de beginning of de 1990s, de Royaw Navy had two cwasses of offshore patrow vessew, de Iswand-cwass, and de warger Castwe-cwass. However, in 1997, a decision was taken to repwace dem; dis decision came in de form of dree much warger offshore patrow vessews, de River-cwass. Unusuawwy, de dree River-cwass ships were owned by Vosper Thorneycroft, and weased to de Royaw Navy untiw 2013. This rewationship was defined by a ground-breaking contractor wogistic support contract which contracts de ships' avaiwabiwity to de RN, incwuding technicaw and stores support. A modified River-cwass vessew, HMS Cwyde, was commissioned in Juwy 2007 and became de Fawkwand Iswands guard-ship. In November 2013, it was announced dat in order to sustain shipbuiwding capabiwities on de Cwyde, five new ocean-going patrow vessews wif Merwin-capabwe fwightdecks wouwd be ordered for dewivery from 2017. These ships wiww repwace de four existing River Cwass ships.[147] In October 2014, de Ministry of Defence announced de names of de first dree ships as HMS Forf, HMS Medway and HMS Trent.[148] The fourf and fiff ships were ordered in December 2016, dese wiww be named HMS Spey and HMS Tamar respectivewy.[149]

Mine countermeasure vessews in service wif de Royaw Navy incwude: seven Sandown-cwassminehunters and six Hunt-cwassmine countermeasure vessews. The Hunt-cwass combine de separate rowes of de traditionaw minesweeper and de active minehunter in one huww. If reqwired, de Sandown and Hunt-cwass vessews can take on de rowe of offshore patrow vessews. HMS Scott is an ocean survey vessew and at 13,500 tonnes is one of de wargest ships in de Navy. The oder survey vessews of de Royaw Navy are de two muwti-rowe ships of de Echo-cwass, which came into service in 2002 and 2003.[151]

Of bawwistic missiwe submarines, de Royaw Navy operates de four Vanguard-cwass, each dispwacing nearwy 16,000 tonnes and eqwipped wif Trident II missiwes (armed wif nucwear weapons) and heavyweight Spearfish torpedoes, wif de purpose to carry out Operation Rewentwess, de United Kingdom's Continuous At Sea Deterrent (Abbreviated to CASD). In December 2006, de Government pubwished recommendations for a new cwass of four bawwistic missiwe submarines to repwace de current Vanguard-cwass, starting 2024. These new Dreadnought-cwass submarines wiww mean dat de United Kingdom wiww maintain a nucwear bawwistic missiwe submarine fweet and de abiwity to waunch nucwear weapons.[154]

Six fweet submarines are presentwy in service, wif dree Trafawgar-cwass and dree Astute-cwass (wif de remainder in construction) making up de totaw. The Trafawgar-cwass dispwace wittwe over 5,300 tonnes when submerged and are armed wif Tomahawk wand-attack missiwes and Spearfish torpedoes. The Astute-cwass at 7,400 tonnes[155] are much warger and carry a warger number of Tomahawk missiwes and Spearfish torpedoes. Four more Astute-cwass fweet submarines are expected to be commissioned and wiww eventuawwy repwace de remaining Trafawgar-cwass boats. HMS Artfuw was de watest Astute-cwass boat to be commissioned.[156]

In de 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review, de UK Government reaffirmed its intention to procure seven Astute-cwass submarines.[157]

HMNB Portsmouf (HMS Portsmouf) – Home to de future Queen Ewizabef Cwass supercarriers, Portsmouf is awso de home to de Daring Cwass Steawf Destroyers (commonwy known as Type 45) as weww as mine-cwearance vessews, and a moderate fweet of Type 23 frigates as weww as Fishery Protection Sqwadrons.[166]

HMNB Cwyde (HMS Neptune Or Simpwy 'Faswane') – Situated in Centraw Scotwand awong de Cwyde River, Faswane is known as de home of de UK's nucwear deterrent, as it maintains de fweet of Vanguard Cwass Bawwistic Missiwe Submarines, as weww as de fweet of Astute Cwass Fweet (Hunter-Kiwwer) submarines. By 2020, Faswane wiww become de home to aww Royaw Navy submarines, and dus de RN Submarine Service. As a resuwt, 43 Commando (Fweet Protection Group) are stationed in Faswane awongside to guard de base as weww as The Royaw Navaw Armaments Depot at Couwport. Moreover, Faswane awso operates a medium-sized fweet of patrow vessews.[167]

The current rowe of de Royaw Navy is to protect British interests at home and abroad, executing de foreign and defence powicies of Her Majesty's Government drough de exercise of miwitary effect, dipwomatic activities and oder activities in support of dese objectives. The Royaw Navy is awso a key ewement of de British contribution to NATO, wif a number of assets awwocated to NATO tasks at any time.[168] These objectives are dewivered via a number of core capabiwities:[169]

The Royaw Navy is currentwy depwoyed in different areas of de worwd, incwuding some standing Royaw Navy depwoyments. These incwude severaw home tasks as weww as overseas depwoyments. The Navy is depwoyed in de Mediterranean as part of standing NATO depwoyments incwuding mine countermeasures and NATO Maritime Group 2. In bof de Norf and Souf Atwantic RN vessews are patrowwing. There is awways a Fawkwand Iswands patrow vessew on depwoyment, currentwy HMS Cwyde.[170]

The Royaw Navy operates a Response Force Task Group (a product of de 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review), which is poised to respond gwobawwy to short-notice tasking across a range of defence activities, such as non-combatant evacuation operations, disaster rewief, humanitarian aid or amphibious operations. In 2011, de first depwoyment of de task group occurred under de name 'COUGAR 11' which saw dem transit drough de Mediterranean where dey took part in muwtinationaw amphibious exercises before moving furder east drough de Suez Canaw for furder exercises in de Indian Ocean, uh-hah-hah-hah.[171][172]

The RN presence in de Persian Guwf typicawwy consists of a Type 45 destroyer and a sqwadron of minehunters supported by an RFA Bay-cwass "modership"

In de Persian Guwf, de RN sustains commitments in support of bof nationaw and coawition efforts to stabiwise de region, uh-hah-hah-hah. The Armiwwa Patrow, which started in 1980, is de navy's primary commitment de Guwf region, uh-hah-hah-hah. The Royaw Navy awso contributes to de combined maritime forces in de Guwf in support of coawition operations.[173] The UK Maritime Component Commander, overseer of aww of Her Majesty's warships in de Persian Guwf and surrounding waters, is awso deputy commander of de Combined Maritime Forces.[174] The Royaw Navy has been responsibwe for training de fwedgwing Iraqi Navy and securing Iraq's oiw terminaws fowwowing de cessation of hostiwities in de country. The Iraqi Training and Advisory Mission (Navy) (Umm Qasr), headed by a Royaw Navy captain, has been responsibwe for de former duty whiwst Commander Task Force Iraqi Maritime, a Royaw Navy commodore, has been responsibwe for de watter.[175][176]

The Royaw Navy was de first of de dree armed forces to combine de personnew and training command, under de Principaw Personnew Officer, wif de operationaw and powicy command, combining de Headqwarters of de Commander-in-Chief, Fweet and Navaw Home Command into a singwe organisation, Fweet Command, in 2005 and becoming Navy Command in 2008. Widin de combined command, de Second Sea Lord continues to act as de Principaw Personnew Officer.[183]

Intewwigence support to fweet operations is provided by intewwigence sections at de various headqwarters and from MOD Defence Intewwigence, renamed from de Defence Intewwigence Staff in earwy 2010.[185]

The Royaw Navy currentwy operates from dree bases in de United Kingdom where commissioned ships are based; Portsmouf, Cwyde and Devonport, Pwymouf – Devonport is de wargest operationaw navaw base in de UK and Western Europe.[186] Each base hosts a fwotiwwa command under a commodore, or, in de case of Cwyde, a captain, responsibwe for de provision of operationaw capabiwity using de ships and submarines widin de fwotiwwa. 3 Commando Brigade Royaw Marines is simiwarwy commanded by a brigadier and based in Pwymouf. Historicawwy, de Royaw Navy maintained Royaw Navy Dockyards around de worwd.[187]Dockyards of de Royaw Navy are harbours where ships are overhauwed and refitted. Onwy four are operating today; at Devonport, Faswane, Rosyf and at Portsmouf.[188] A Navaw Base Review was undertaken in 2006 and earwy 2007, de outcome being announced by Secretary of State for Defence, Des Browne, confirming dat aww wouwd remain however some reductions in manpower were anticipated.[189]

Significant numbers of navaw personnew are empwoyed widin de Ministry of Defence, Defence Eqwipment and Support and on exchange wif de Army and Royaw Air Force. Smaww numbers are awso on exchange widin oder government departments and wif awwied fweets, such as de United States Navy. The navy awso posts personnew in smaww units around de worwd to support ongoing operations and maintain standing commitments. Nineteen personnew are stationed in Gibrawtar to support de smaww Gibrawtar Sqwadron, de RN's onwy permanent overseas sqwadron, uh-hah-hah-hah. A number of personnew are awso based at East Cove Miwitary Port and RAF Mount Pweasant in de Fawkwand Iswands to support APT(S). Smaww numbers of personnew are based in Diego Garcia (Navaw Party 1002), Miami (NP 1011 – AUTEC), Singapore (NP 1022), Dubai (NP 1023) and ewsewhere.[191]

The navy of de United Kingdom is commonwy referred to as de "Royaw Navy" bof in de United Kingdom and oder countries. Navies of oder Commonweawf countries where de British monarch is awso head of state incwude deir nationaw name, e.g. Royaw Austrawian Navy. Some navies of oder monarchies, such as de Koninkwijke Marine (Royaw Nederwands Navy) and Kungwiga Fwottan (Royaw Swedish Navy), are awso cawwed "Royaw Navy" in deir own wanguage. The Danish Navy stands out wif de term Royaw incorporated in its officiaw name (Royaw Danish Navy), but onwy using de term "Fwåden" (Navy) in everyday speech.[195] The French Navy, despite France being a repubwic since 1870, is often nicknamed "La Royawe" (witerawwy: The Royaw).[196]

Royaw Navy ships in commission are prefixed since 1789 wif Her Majesty's Ship (His Majesty's Ship), abbreviated to "HMS"; for exampwe, HMS Beagwe. Submarines are stywed HM Submarine, awso abbreviated "HMS". Names are awwocated to ships and submarines by a naming committee widin de MOD and given by cwass, wif de names of ships widin a cwass often being dematic (for exampwe, de Type 23s are named after British dukes) or traditionaw (for exampwe, de Invincibwe-cwass aircraft carriers aww carry de names of famous historic ships). Names are freqwentwy re-used, offering a new ship de rich heritage, battwe honours and traditions of her predecessors. Often, a particuwar vessew cwass wiww be named after de first ship of dat type to be buiwt. As weww as a name, each ship and submarine of de Royaw Navy and de Royaw Fweet Auxiwiary is given a pennant number which in part denotes its rowe. For exampwe, de destroyer HMS Daring dispways de pennant number 'D32'.[197]

The Royaw Navy has severaw formaw customs and traditions incwuding de use of ensigns and ships badges. Royaw Navy ships have severaw ensigns used when under way and when in port. Commissioned ships and submarines wear de White Ensign at de stern whiwst awongside during daywight hours and at de main-mast whiwst under way. When awongside, de Union Jack is fwown from de jackstaff at de bow, and can onwy be fwown under way eider to signaw a court-martiaw is in progress or to indicate de presence of an admiraw of de fweet on-board (incwuding de Lord High Admiraw or de monarch).[200]

The Fweet Review is an irreguwar tradition of assembwing de fweet before de monarch. The first review on record was hewd in 1400, and de most recent review as of 2009[update] was hewd on 28 June 2005 to mark de bi-centenary of de Battwe of Trafawgar; 167 ships from many different nations attended wif de Royaw Navy suppwying 67.[201]

There are severaw wess formaw traditions incwuding service nicknames and Navaw swang. The nicknames incwude "The Andrew" (of uncertain origin, possibwy after a zeawous press ganger)[202][203] and "The Senior Service".[204][205] The RN has evowved a rich vowume of swang, known as "Jack-speak". Nowadays de British saiwor is usuawwy "Jack" (or "Jenny") rader dan de more historicaw "Jack Tar". Royaw Marines are fondwy known as "Bootnecks" or often just as "Royaws". A compendium of Navaw swang was brought togeder by Commander A. Covey-Crump and his name has in itsewf become de subject of Navaw swang; Covey Crump.[204] A game traditionawwy pwayed by de Navy is de four-pwayer board game "Uckers". This is simiwar to Ludo and it is regarded as easy to wearn, but difficuwt to pway weww.[206]

C. S. Forester's Hornbwower novews have been adapted for tewevision.[220] The Royaw Navy was de subject of an accwaimed 1970s BBC tewevision drama series, Warship,[221] and of a five-part documentary, Shipmates, dat fowwowed de workings of de Royaw Navy day to day.[222]

Tewevision documentaries about de Royaw Navy incwude: Empire of de Seas: How de Navy Forged de Modern Worwd, a four-part documentary depicting Britain's rise as a navaw superpower, up untiw de First Worwd War;[223]Saiwor, about wife on de aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royaw;[224] and Submarine, about de submarine captains' training course, 'The Perisher'.[225] There have awso been Channew 5 documentaries such as Royaw Navy Submarine Mission, fowwowing a nucwear-powered fweet submarine.[226]

The popuwar BBC radio comedy series The Navy Lark featured a fictitious warship ("HMS Troutbridge") and ran from 1959 to 1977.[227]

^Since Apriw 2013, MoD pubwications no wonger report de entire strengf of de Reguwar Reserve, instead, onwy Reguwar Reserves serving under a fixed-term reserve contract are counted. These contracts are simiwar in nature to de Maritime Reserve.

^In Royaw Navy parwance, "commissioned ships" invariabwy refers to bof submarines and surface ships. Non-commissioned ships operated by or in support of Her Majesty's Navaw Service are not incwuded.

^"The Royaw Navy: Britain's Trident for a Gwobaw Agenda". Henry Jackson Society. 4 November 2006. Retrieved 4 November 2006. Britannia, wif her shiewd and trident, is de very symbow, not onwy of de Royaw Navy, but awso of British gwobaw power. In de wast instance, de Royaw Navy is de United Kingdom's greatest strategic asset and instrument. As de onwy oder 'bwue-water' navy oder dan dose of France and de United States, its bawwistic missiwe submarines carry de nation's nucwear deterrent and its aircraft carriers and escorting navaw sqwadrons suppwy London wif a deep oceanic power projection capabiwity, which enabwes Britain to maintain a 'forward presence' gwobawwy, and de abiwity to infwuence events tacticawwy droughout de worwd.

^Bennett, James C (2007). The Angwosphere Chawwenge: Why de Engwish-speaking Nations Wiww Lead de Way in de Twenty-first Century. United States: Rowman & Littwefiewd. p. 286. ISBN0742533336. ...de United States and de United Kingdom have de worwd's two best worwd-spanning bwue-water navies... wif de French being de onwy oder candidate... and China being de most wikewy competitor in de wong term

^Coxe, Wiwwiam. Memoirs of de kings of Spain of de House of Bourbon, Vowume 3, London 1815. Coxe gives de overaww woss of de expedition during de campaign as 20,000 wives wost; Reed Browning considers dis "not impwausibwe" (p. 382).

^"First steew cut on new patrow ships". Ministry of Defence. 10 October 2014. Retrieved 11 October 2014. The first of de new OPVs wiww be named HMS Forf and is expected to be handed over to de Royaw Navy in 2017. The second wiww be named HMS Medway and de dird HMS Trent.